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Moloch
Moloch is one of the founders of the Baali bloodline alongside Nergal and the Unnamed. He dwelt in Carthage, and was Troile's blood-bound lover. The two of them are entwined together in torpor beneath Carthage's remains. His legacy is preserved by the Order of Moloch. Biography Moloch, along with Nergal and another, were part of a tribe of Infernalists that sacrificed humans into a well in the ground. An Antediluvian found them and, in a rage at the pettiness and smallness of their evil, proceeded to slaughter the tribe. In order that some might remain to learn the Antediluvian's lesson, he cast their bodies into their own well, and let his own blood flow in after. The following night, after the Antediluvian had left, Moloch, Nergal, and the other emerged from the well as vampires, the first of the Baali. In contrast to the overt and rash actions of his broodmate Nergal, Moloch preferred a subtler approach: he fostered cults and orders among the population to serve his interests, while he at the same time carefully examined those he would Embrace. Most of his childer were descendants of his own tribe. He had a low opinion of Nergal, even calling him the "whore of the Baali". When D'habi revenants informed him of Nergal's intention to awaken Namtaru, he reacted quickly. In order to silence his brother and keep the bloodline from fracturing into a civil war, he betrayed Nergal and his city Mashkan-Shapir to the Antediluvians, who reacted just as he anticipated. Moloch had a fairly pragmatic view on infernalism, seeking to use the demonic power without succumbing to it or bringing demons into the world. Voices of dissent within the bloodline were silenced, and under his leadership, the Baali began to infest the coastal cities of . However, he allowed the occasional infernalist who practiced his vileness in the open to exist and sometimes even supported them, viewing these young Cainites as lightning rods that would distract the rest of the undead from him and his brood. When Shaitan arose and assembled the Baali under his leadership, Moloch forbade his childer to join him, but refused further actions, having been granted visions that told him of the contumelious defeat the imposter would suffer. Accused of cowardice by many younger members of the bloodline, he allowed those who would abandon him to leave and took his most loyal childer with him as he left for the colony of Qart-ḥadašt, which would later be known as Carthage. Within Carthage, Moloch became a confidant to Troile, knowing of his dark hunger and encouraging this aspect in him. Soon, Baali became one of the most influential vampiric lines within the city, demanding blood sacrifices and worship from the mortal inhabitants. Under Moloch's influence, Troile became much more moody, draining his enemies of their vitae and Embracing childer just to devour them. In time, the two became lovers, unknown to the rest of Moloch's brood. When Carthage fell, Moloch fought side by side with Troile against the invaders until both of them sank beneath the earth in a last embrace. The remnants of the bloodline abandoned Moloch to his fate, seeing that his judgement was clouded by the blood bond. V20 Timeline When the Romans sacked Carthage during the Punic Wars, they brought back tales of human sacrifice, bloody idolatry, and squalling infants thrown into flaming braziers as offerings to foul gods. While Kindred scholars regard the Punic Wars as a time when the Masquerade was stretched thin, when open Jyhad between the Ventrue and the Brujah led to open conflict, few argue the presence of something unholy in the hidden temples and among the desperate families of the Carthaginians. Tonight, the ruins of Carthage in Tunisia are a UNESCO World Heritage Site, but one particular location among the ruins has avoided the scrutiny of the archaeologists. A timeless evil issues forth by night from this unhallowed temple. A great brazier, having lain cold for millennia, surrounded by tiny bones and streaked with the now-black stains of boiling blood, buzzes with flies and crawls with sightless maggots swarming about the grisly offerings left therein. This ghastly place is a spawning pit, and from it emerge vampires — though the "Kindred" are loath to share this appellation with them — devoted to the incomprehensible wills of their vile, forgotten god. These monstrous undead know the songs of Pazuzu and still speak the tongue of Moloch, birthing nightmares and leaving only desecration in their wake. Influence Moloch's pragmatic view of infernalism was based on the belief that sating the horrifying desires of slumbering demons is better than allowing them to awake. After his death, Moloch's childer developed his beliefs into a secret organization to keep the "Sleepers" bound. The Order of Moloch would survive into modern nights, fighting other Baali and infernalists who wish to unleash hell on Earth. References * * Category:Baali Category:Fourth Generation vampires Category:Vampire: The Dark Ages characters